Chapter 17: Andrea

I opened my eyes to white walls and the sound of a constant, rhythmic beeping. My lids felt heavy, and when I tried to move my head, a sharp pain shot through my entire body. I wanted to scream, but all that came out was a groan. My vision was blurry, the room around me fading in and out of focus. A figure appeared above me, and it took me a few seconds before I could see her clearly. The woman looked to be in her forties, hair tied back in a bun and wearing pink scrubs.

“Welcome back,” she said, a little too loudly for my liking.

I blinked and frowned as more pain shot through me.

“You’re in a hospital, Coventry Mercy, to be exact,” she said. “You’ve been in quite a nasty accident, sweetheart. Can you tell me your name?”

“Andrea,” I croaked. “Where’s Dennis?”

The nurse frowned. “I don’t know who that is,” she said. “But your brother and his friend are outside. Would you like me to bring them in?”

Bobby. Andy.

I wanted to nod, but that only made the pain worse, and instead I closed my eyes.

I didn’t open them again for another two hours.

***

Bobby was sitting by my side when I woke up again. He was reading the same book he had been glued to for the past week, and if it weren’t for the drugs, I could have sworn that he was still on the same page. He looked adorable when he concentrated like that, sometimes making me wonder if he was just reading for show.

I moved my arm painfully to a side, rustling the sheets. In the otherwise silent hospital room, the sound was deafening, and Bobby quickly looked up and over his book at me. When he saw my eyes open, he sat up quickly and moved to sit beside me on the bed, holding my hand in his. He squeezed, and I wanted to tell him that it hurt, but I was just happy he was there.

“Hey,” he said, smiling. “Rise and shine. What are you planning to do? Sleep through the whole day?”

I smiled and coughed, wanting to tell him that I had every right to do just that, but my mouth was still too dry, and trying to speak felt like shards of glass scratching the inside of my throat.

“Water,” Bobby said, reading my mind and turning to the jug by the bed, pouring me a glass. He put his hand under my head, helping me up so I could drink. His touch almost made me scream, and I didn’t want to even think about the extent of damage done to my body. A quick scan let me know that at least I wasn’t in any casts.

Then why the hell did everything hurt so much?

He let me back down gently, making sure I was comfortable before he sat back down in his chair, moving it closer to the bed so I wouldn’t have to raise my voice to talk to him.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice hoarse and my throat burning.

“We pulled you out of the wreckage, Andy and me,” Bobby explained. “You were unconscious, but fortunately we didn’t have to wait too long for the ambulance. They got you here in record time. You suffered a lot of internal injury, and they rushed you into surgery.”

That explains the damn pain.

“Dennis?” I asked, forcing my eyes to stay open.

“Yeah, we had to save him, too,” Bobby said. “Although I tried to convince Andy to just leave the bastard there. He was awake when we got there, and he didn’t look like he had suffered as much damage as you had. At least that was the case before Andy broke his nose.”

I groaned, and Bobby smiled. “Completely an accident,” he winked. “Dennis accidentally hit his face against the steering wheel when we were pulling him out. At least that’s what we’re going with.”

I coughed in laughter and winced when the pain reminded me that there were some luxuries I couldn’t enjoy, at least not right now. Bobby grabbed my hand and patted it gently.

“Andy’s outside, if you want to see him,” he said.

I looked at him, tears welling up in my eyes. I did want to see him, but I still couldn’t get the image of the naked woman at his apartment out of my head. I didn’t know how to talk to him about that, and I would have to, eventually.

“You do know it wasn’t his fault, right?” Bobby asked.

“I saw –” I coughed, clearing my throat. “I saw her, Bobby. That woman.”

Bobby nodded. “Yeah, crazy Hannah, I know,” he said. “He told me. She drugged him, Andrea. She’s one crazy, messed up woman, and she’s strung up on him bad. This was just one of the many extremes she goes through to get what she wants.”

I looked away, a tear running down my cheek. I wanted to believe him, but the explanation sounded far too ridiculous.

“He’s been here since they brought you in,” Bobby said. “I’m not exactly the biggest fan of your relationship, but I’ve never seen him care that much before. There’s got to be something there.”

“Can we talk about something else?”

Bobby sighed and leaned back in his seat. “I’m thinking of repainting the garage.”

***

It took me a week before I could finally sit up properly, and in that time, I tried hard to find some way to forgive Andy for what had happened. He was outside every day, sitting quietly in the waiting room, from the minute visiting hours began until they ended. He never came in, giving me the space, I needed, even though I wouldn’t have stopped him if he had tried. It was Bobby who was trying to convince me to talk to him, forever the loyal friend, even though he had his reservations.

I guess my brother saw how serious Andy really was and was slowly changing his mind.

On the day the doctors told me that I was good to go, and could be discharged whenever I wanted, I finally gave in. The truth was, I missed Andy. A lot. I knew the whole naked woman in his apartment incident was just one crazy bitch’s idea of getting back at me, and I needed to get past this. I wasn’t punishing him. It was just really difficult to get the image out of my head.

Andy popped his head through the open door, giving me a weak smile. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like he hadn’t slept for days. I didn’t know whether I should be flattered or concerned.

I beckoned him to me, and he walked in, gently closing the door behind him.

“How are you holding up?” he asked.

“Better,” I replied. “The stitches still hurt a little, but at least I can talk.”

“The doctors told me about the injuries,” he said. “I’m sorry about all that.”

“Hey, I’m just glad to be alive,” I smiled. “A couple of hours more and I would have died in the wreckage.”

He stood by my bed, keeping a bit of a distance between us, as if not really sure whether he should come closer or not. His eyes searched mine, and I could see a hint of tears somewhere there.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice breaking. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I’m so sorry.”

I held my arms out to him, throwing away any doubt in my head that I wanted to spend every waking moment of my life with him. I began to tear up when he leaned in and embraced me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, tight.

“I’m so sorry,” he kept saying.

“It’s not your fault,” I said. “It really isn’t.”

“What you saw –”

“I know,” I cut him off, holding his face in my hands and looking him in the eyes. “Bobby told me. I know.” I kissed him, tasting the salty tears on his lips, breathing him in. “I know.”

He crawled into bed beside me, and gently pulled me into his arms. I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heart beating, closing my eyes. It felt good to lay there, his arms wrapping me up tight, as if he would never let me go.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you, too,” he replied, squeezing me tighter.

I relaxed, letting my tears flow comfortably, and within seconds, fell asleep.

***

“So, how long before you guys leave?”

Bobby was helping me get dressed, easing my arms into my shirt and making sure he didn’t accidently hit any of the stitches. It was a painfully slow procedure, and I was happy I didn’t have to do it alone.

Andy was packing my bag, quickly scanning the room for anything he might have missed.

“What do you mean?” I asked, wincing slightly as I pulled the hem of my shirt over the bandages.

“Maine,” Andy said, looking from me to Bobby and back again.

I looked at my brother, letting him decide for the both of us.

“I’m thinking we might just stay after all,” he said with a smile. “Dennis is behind bars, and Andrea could do a lot worse than you. So, no real hurry, right?”

I smiled back and looked at Andy, winking at him. Bobby was finally on board.

“Besides, the divorce process is underway, and after the kidnapping charges, I think things will go a lot faster now,” Bobby continued.

“Jane will be thrilled,” Andy said, his eyes locked onto me, his smile stretching from ear to ear. He looked like a child who had been given a jar of candy.

“Only Jane?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, you’re still under house arrest,” Bobby said. “Until you’re fully healed and ready to move around on your own. So, don’t get too excited.”

“We have a guest room,” I suggested.

Bobby squinted at me and Andy broke into laughter. “You’re like a teenager,” Bobby said.

I smacked his arm. “Fine, dad, just help me up, won’t you.”

“Would you hate me if I said I like that you’re helpless?” Bobby said. “At least now I won’t have to worry about you sneaking out of the house late at night.”

“Oh, believe me, I’ve learned my lesson,” I laughed, my merriment cut short when a stabbing pain radiated from below my chest. It still hurt to laugh.

“Easy,” Andy said, coming up beside me. “The sooner you heal, the better. Let’s not push ourselves.”

I smiled at Bobby. “See? He’s useful.”

“Shut up,” Bobby replied.

“That’s fine,” Andy chuckled. “Either way, I’m heading out to Manchester tonight. I can expect a guest room when I get back in a few days.”

I had given Bobby a list of things that needed to be done back in Manchester, one of which included officially finalizing my resignation at KarpTech. Not to mention I had a bunch of personal things that needed to be boxed and brought back to Mansfield. Thankfully, Andy had offered to take over that chore, arguing that, at least for now, I needed Bobby more than him.

I didn’t necessarily agree, but I was glad he had offered to go.

I wrapped an arm around Andy’s arm and let him lead me slowly towards the door while Bobby grabbed the bag off the table. I looked back at the hospital bed I had spent the last three weeks in, hoping that I would never have to see the inside of a hospital again for a very long time. Andy waited for me until I nodded that I was ready to go.

“Say goodbye,” Andy said.

I smiled and shook my head at him. “Get me out of here, boys. I want to go home.”

Andy smiled and helped me out. “By the way, Bobby, about that guest room –”